RailEnquiry

Belgaum: Giving in to pressure from the people of north Karnataka, the railway ministry  decided not only to resume the  Miraj-Yeshwantpur train service, abruptly stopped since July 1, but  has also now introduced another train, the Garib Rath Express connecting these stations.   After introducing the Miraj-Yeshwantpur train to avoid the increasing rush of passengers for the Rani Chennamma Express in October last year, the government suddenly stopped its services on July 1, creating panic among people depending on the train  to reach Bengaluru from various parts of Belgaum and Hubli-Dharwad.  But  the  train was reintroduced from July 6 on the orders of railway minister, Mallikarjun Kharge.   Travelling on the  newly introduced Garib Rath Express, which will for the first time connect two important cities of Maharashtra and Karnataka,  will be 60 per cent cheaper than on  most  other trains.  As against the Rs 895 charged for a ticket to travel in the air-conditioned bogies of the Miraj-Yeshwantpur train, only Rs 537 will be charged for travelling in the  Garib Rath.    “The train will help thousands of people  travelling on the Miraj-Belgaum-Hubli and Dharwad route and also those going to Bengaluru from  north Karnataka, especially as it will run thrice a week,'' say railway officers, adding that the railway ministry will run the train until August 30 to check for people's response  and then take a decision on whether to to run it round-the-year.